Agency Spotlight
LUCHA Ministries, Inc.
LUCHA Ministries, Inc. serves Spanish-speaking immigrants with limited English skills. One of its major aims is to fill in the gaps and ensure that immigrants have access to various programs and resources in the community, regardless of their ability to speak English fluently.
LUCHA provides direct services in Spanish and helps agencies, churches, and individuals to better serve the Spanish-speaking community. Sue Smith, Executive Director of LUCHA Ministries, knows from experience how important these services are to immigrants. "Living in a country or culture that isn't your own, speaking a different language, and being unfamilliar with the customs is hard, especially during crisis times."
Through its food assistance program Cinco Panes (or Five Loaves), LUCHA focuses on foods that are simple, basic staple items for the majority of Latino families. Rice, dry beans, cooking oil, fresh peppers, onions, and tortilla mix. Over time, immigrants adapt and blend cultures in a new country, but the foods people prefer are often related to more than just hunger needs.
Food brings the family together around the table and is a tool for passing along or sharing culture and traditions. Latinos cook for their famlies, share tamales or other foods with others on special occasions, and offer hospitality to guests. "We want LUCHA's food ministry to be about more than just a box of food," says Sue. "The type of food we provide says that we care about their needs, even if we don't always understand their problemds. This means a lot to the immigrant population."
LUCHA Ministries also provides activities in Spanish centered around food-related themes, such as nutrition and cooking classes, cake decorating, or simply how to read a recipe and measure ingredients.
For more information on LUCHA, visit www.luchaministries.org or contact Sue Smith at sue.smith@vbmb.org
Spring 2012